Graduate Program

Admission and Financial Aid

Graduate Program

The Department of Biology requests that students apply to the department rather than to individual laboratories.

Applicants are required to submit:

An online application

College transcripts (for all schools attended)

Scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

Three letters of recommendation.

All supporting documents must be submitted by using the online system (unofficial copies of all transcripts and the GRE score report will be accepted for the review process). Please contact cynthia.landry@rochester.edu to check the status of your application.

The University GRE code is 2928. The University TOEFL code is 7267. Although we do not have a minimum requirement, a score of 155 on the GRE verbal and 155 on the quantitative section, a 4.5 on the analytical section, and a GPA of 3.0/4.0 are usually competitive for entry in the Ph.D. program. International students are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). We will also accept the IELTS. The subject GRE is not required, but is highly recommended.

Transfer students are considered for admission using these same criteria. The department seeks students who have a strong commitment to field or laboratory research in fundamental areas of biology.

The deadline for complete applications is January 1 for fall admission. We do not admit students in the spring semester. Once PhD applications have been screened, candidates are invited to visit the campus for:

Faculty interviews

Meet-and-greets with graduate students

Tours of the facilities

Sojourns into the city

The department covers these expenses. International students who reside outside of the U.S. are not interviewed in person, but may be interviewed by skype and/or telephone.

All PhD students admitted to the program are offered a competitive annual stipend, Aetna health insurance, and a full tuition scholarship. Support is guaranteed for five years subject to satisfactory progress towards the degree. Students are awarded a research or teaching assistantship. The department also awards Caspari and Holtfreter Fellowships.

We also encourage students to apply for outside funding from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and private agencies. Obtaining funding from outside sources brings distinction both to the student and the Department. Admission to the program is never contingent on students securing their own funds. Please click here to review our fellowship policy.